Asphalt-based roofing materials, such as roofing shingles, are installed on the roofs of buildings to provide protection from the elements and to give the roof an aesthetically pleasing look. Typically, the roofing shingles are constructed on a completed substrate, such as, for example, a glass fiber mat. A roofing shingle is constructed by coating the completed substrate with asphalt such that the asphalt saturates the substrate and forms an asphalt layer on both the top face and bottom face of the substrate. A decorative/protective surface layer of granules are applied in the asphalt layer on the top face of the completed substrate and a coating of sand or other particulate material is adhered to the asphalt layer on the bottom face of the substrate. The weight of and the ability to control the weight of the shingle during manufacturing, the cost of manufacturing the shingle, and the performance characteristics of the shingle are significantly impacted by the amount of asphalt and surface layers applied to the substrate.